Empowering the Next Generation of FinTech Innovators

UKFinnovator is a dynamic, two-day innovation hackathon designed to connect talented university students with real-world challenges from industry. Hosted by the UKFin+ Network, UKFinnovator brings together students, researchers, startups, and established businesses to co-create solutions that drive innovation in FinTech and related digital sectors.

This event is framed as a deep collaborative effort, maximising the chance for student ideas to transition into real-world ventures. It brings together students, researchers, startups, and established businesses in a uniquely supportive environment that blends creativity, mentorship, and practical industry engagement.

What UKFinnovator Is All About

At UKFinnovator, student teams work on real business challenges set by partner companies, developing innovative FinTech solutions that address the needs of modern finance, data systems, and digital inclusion.

Over the weekend, teams will brainstorm, design, and prototype their ideas, guided by mentors from academia and industry who provide hands-on technical and business support.

The event will be facilitated by John Tsopanis, a 5-time Hackathon Winner and CEO of Bettr Social, whose session will focus on winning entries, startup funding, and the challenges of capital distribution in autonomous systems. John will demonstrate the direct path from technical innovation in a hackathon setting to securing seed funding, illustrating how FinTech solutions can address critical economic problems, particularly in the areas of automated wealth creation and distribution.

This institutional support is fully integrated with private sector innovators such as Solana Superteam UK, Bettr Social, AllSee Technologies, Unique Tech Solutions, and NoCodeLab.

This powerful ecosystem ensures every team receives world-class mentorship, deep technical guidance, and a clear framework to move from concept to funding, transforming their hackathon entries into investment-ready startups. Its strength lies in the deep collaborative framework established between the national agenda of UKFin+ and the robust innovation resources of the UK’s FinTech ecosystem, creating lasting value beyond the event itself.

 What Makes UKFinnovator Different

The schedule and structure of UKFinnovator ensure every team is positioned for success, moving beyond the prototype stage into a pathway of real opportunity.

The opportunities extend far beyond the weekend, with:

• Cash prizes for winning teams
• Eight-week accelerator programmes from NoCodeLab and Oxford Innovation Advice
• Membership with Solana Superteam UK offering coworking space with the region’s leading Web3 startups
• Networking opportunities with innovators, mentors, investors, and company leaders

This holistic structure ensures that participants create an investment-ready FinTech solution ready to scale.

For Students

If you’re a student who’s curious, ambitious, and eager to make an impact, UKFinnovator is your launchpad. Form cross-disciplinary teams with peers from different courses and universities to design creative, scalable solutions that tackle real FinTech challenges.

Whether your strength is in coding, design, business strategy, or storytelling, you’ll find your place at UKFinnovator and walk away with new skills, connections, and opportunities.

Apply to take part in UKFinnovator 2026

For Companies – Become a Challenge Setter

Want to engage with the next generation of FinTech talent?

As a Challenge Setter, your company can:

• Present a real challenge aligned with your business goals
• Collaborate with diverse, creative student teams exploring new solutions
• Gain exposure to emerging talent and innovative ideas
• Join a growing national community of FinTech innovators

We are now inviting companies to register their interest for upcoming UKFinnovator events in Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Cambridge.

Sign up to be a Challenge Setter

Our Mission

UKFinnovator is part of the wider UKFin+ initiative to be a driver in collaboration between academia and industry to strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in FinTech innovation.

Our mission is to:

• Support students and researchers to commercialise ideas
• Connect universities with private sector innovators
• Build inclusive FinTech ecosystems across the UK
• Accelerate regional innovation and create tangible economic impact

Through UKFinnovator, we’re building a pipeline where ideas become ventures, and students become founders, shaping the future of UK FinTech.